Anna
by imromytrash
Summary: The first time Rogue told Remy her name. Romy.


_**Author's Notes:**_ _Just a short concoction because I really would rather not write my paper for class. Hope you enjoy it! (Reviews are greatly appreciated btw)_ _(P.S. Who else is crazy excited about the Rogue & Gambit mini in January?!)_

 **Anna**

The luminescence of the day had long been replaced by an endless sheet of black as the sun readily relinquished its power to the moon— hovering low and partially obscured by the thin, scudding clouds. Surrounding the crescent-shaped entity, the twinkling of spotlights adorned the black canvas enveloping the horizon, breathing life into the stillness of the air. The crashing of waves— strong and magnificent— against the golden hue of the earth, filled the quietness of the night as the world remained hushed in slumber; save the woman, too consumed with a feeling so foreign yet so intense, to fall victim to the serenity of the night.

Resting on her side, she directed her gaze out the window and to the diamonds gleaming proudly in the darkness outside. Her mind was lost, not to the constellations, but to the equally-beautiful incandescence of the moments that played out just briefly before. For the first time in all her twenty-three years, she felt a sense of hope, so strong it lit her entire body ablaze. A hope for happiness, a hope for love, a hope for the future. She knew too well the dangers that came with the feeling, but if she was being entirely honest with herself, she didn't care. It didn't matter what the costs were; she was willing to take the gamble.

As long as it was with him. Only him. Gambit.

Behind her, she felt him stir. The arm that had been draped across her bare torso shifted to rest perfectly along the dip of her waist. His fingers moved to find hers. Slowly, his thumb traced small circles around her knuckles. She could feel his breath warming the crook between her neck and shoulder; the steady, routinized sound of his breathing adding to the intimacy of his touch. His presence was intoxicating.

Just moments before, with that very same touch—so gentle, so tender, so incredibly reverent of her body—he had taken her over the edge in ways she couldn't even imagine. And she _had_ imagined. How could she not after that stolen night in Antarctica? In that short moment, she had learned the effects of his wandering hands, his soft lips, his tongue, his body— his skin, his miles of glorious skin — on her skin. She had learned that one stolen night would not be enough. She craved _more_. It would be criminal not to crave more.

And then came their chance. Tonight, for the second time in their lives together, they made love. This time though, it was different. It wasn't in the dark, dirty, cold confines of a prison cell in Antarctica. No, it was in the privacy of their shared home, in the softness and warmth of the smooth satin sheets of their king-sized bed. There were no clunky metal collars forcibly strapped to their necks, no metal chains attached to their limbs, no barriers, no unwarranted devices that could possibly impinge the freedom of their movements. It was just _skin on skin on skin_. There were no hurried kisses, no fleeting touches, no fear of getting caught. This time, they could thoroughly explore the other's body; imprint the image of the other into their minds; discover the secret places that would make their breaths hitch. Time was on their side now and they had plenty to make up for. Admittedly, spending weeks on the road with him whilst abstaining from any physical intimacy had been a challenge. She wanted nothing more than to relish in the feel of him underneath her fingertips—a privilege denied to them for far too long. Though the urgency was there, they were more compelled by the desire to settle in proper in a place they both could call home. Only then could they truly express their love for each other. No seedy motels, no dark alleys, no pubs. No, they had wanted it to be perfect. In retrospect, she was relieved that they had waited. Everything about tonight was as perfect as it could be. And tomorrow, she would wake up in his arms—an image she had unabashedly envisioned in her mind for as long as she had known him, even when her powers denied her the liberation of touch. Tomorrow, she mused, would no longer be a one-time fantasy but an everyday reality.

The woman was then awakened from her reverie when she felt the familiar softness of lips on her shoulder, lingering on her skin.

"I love you, Rogue," She heard him say, his husky voice barely above a whisper.

She let a moment or two pass before she spoke. "Anna..."

"Hm?"

Slowly, she turned over to face him. Under the blue hue of the moonlight, her gaze fell on his face and zeroed in on his eyes. They were barely opened, she could see that he was drifting between sleep and wakefulness. Gently, she lifted her hand to stroke his stubbled cheek.

"Anna. My real name is Anna... Anna Marie."

Despite her nervousness, the corner of her lip curved upward in a small smile as he visibly transitioned from a state of inattentiveness to alertness. Propping himself up by the elbow, he studied her as she spoke softly.

"That was the last word Cody said before... before Ah put him in a coma... He said my name. He said Anna..."

"Chere..." He lifted his hand to delicately tuck the white streak of hair behind her ear.

"When Ah understood what it was my powers did, what Ah could do to people... to Cody, Ah had to disappear. Ah had to leave any trace of my old life behind. And that included my name. Ah could never be Anna again. Anna was normal. Ah closed that chapter of my life with what happened to Cody."

She paused then, dropping her hand from his cheek to rest on his chest. She focused on a freckle there, her finger tracing its outline. She could feel his eyes on her. "And then _you_ walked into my life and made me... made me feel things that Ah thought Ah had buried with Cody." She looked up. "Lord knows it wasn't easy with you, Remy LeBeau, but look at us now. We have our own place and we're happy. Ah've never been happier in my life." Moving in closer, she looked into his ruby eyes. "Ah love you so much, Remy. For so long, my life has been stagnant. Stuck. But now, Ah want to open a new chapter of my life with you. But I don't think Ah can do that until Ah let you in on my old life..."

"And tellin' me your name is a good place t' start," he finished for her.

"Yeah..."

Gently, he brought her hand that was positioned on his chest to his lips, kissing it softly. "Thank you for tellin' me your name, chere. I know it wasn't easy for you. And I'm sorry that you had to go through all that alone. I wish I'd found you sooner."

"You're here now, sugah. That's all that matters."

Leaning forward, she closed the distance between them, her lips moving in a slow, languid motion against his, her hand coming up to cradle his neck. She said everything she could in the kiss, letting him know that she had no intention of walking away from this life that they were starting to build together. If moving forward together meant uncovering elements of their pasts, then so be it. She would bare her soul out for him if it meant that they could have their shot of pure, unadulterated bliss; she knew he would do the same for her too. The past had been written and lived, there was nothing that she could do to change that. Nothing that could undo what had happened to Cody, nothing that could bring her old life back. The future, though, was a blank slate, waiting to be filled up. And she knew exactly who she wanted to fill it up with.

When they broke apart a moment later, he looked at her, a smirk forming on his face. "Anna Marie," he drawled out. "Now I have a name to call out durin' all the sex that we're gonna have."

Playfully, she shoved him by the shoulder, causing him to fall on his back. "You just _had_ to go and ruin the moment, didn't you, Remy LeBeau?"

He caught her hand and tugged her down gently to him, her body lying atop his. "I was just joking, chere." He shifted his hand to trace her jawline. His tone was soft, affectionate.

"Anna Marie… A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."


End file.
